Plate pre-register method



Dec. 8, 1964 R. K. NORTON 3,160,096

PLATE PRE-REGISTER METHOD ATTORNEY Dec. 8, 1964 R. K. NORTON 3,160,096

PLATE PRE-REGISTER METHOD Original Filed May 2l, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ROBERT K. NORTON www M7? ATTORNEY 3,169,996 PLATE lRlE-REGSTEER METHD Robert K. Norton, Twinshurg, Ghia, assigner to Harrisntertype Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Continuation of application Ser. No. 660,688, May 2l, 1957. This application Dec. 19, 1962, Ser. No. 245,834 2 Claims. (ill. lil1--4ill.l)

This invention relates generally to a system of preparing printing plates for use on a printing press. Its primary purpose is to facilitate registration in multi-color printing of one plate to another, and to reduce the time consumed in preparing the platesand mounting them on the press. This application is a continuation of my US. application, Serial No. 660,688, liled May 2l, 1957.

There have been numerous attempts to provide register systems which utilize positive or mechanical registration elements such as pins and holes. Each of the known systems is limited to a particular kind of use, and thus does not have the necessary flexibility for use in a small printing shop for example. Some of the systems carry out what is commonly called the step-and-repeat process irl which a negative is mounted in a frame which in turn is movably mounted on a. plate holder. The mechanism is indexed across the plate; the image being produced several times in dilferent positions on the same plate. Mechanism of this sort is impractical for those jobs in which a plate is to be made up with a variety of different subjects, some of which may be line copy andv others art copy. One system whichV overcomes the disadvantages of the above mentioned devices is shown and described in U.S. Patent 2,902,770 issued to Raymond W. Mulcahy. As will become apparent later, the invention disclosed in the Mulcahy patent may be used in conjunction with that described herein.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, time-saving method of and apparatus for preparing a plurality of plates in proper registration for use on a printing press.

Another object is to provide a novelftype of'register system utilizing three slots alo-ng a leading edge of a printing plate and a corresponding negative-carrying masking sheet, a middle one of these slots being used for side registering purposes and the end ones being used for front registering purposes, all of said slots being of the Width of the pins with which they register but of greater length to compensate for dimensional changes which may occur in the masking sheet.

More specically, it is an object of the'iuvention to provide a register system using two abutments engaging the leading edge and one abutment engaging a side edge of a printing plate for registering the plate to punches prio-r to punching the aforesaid slots in the plate, utilizing the slots in subsequent steps of the process for locating image areas on the plate in precise registration with the slots', and thereafter using only one of said slots for side registration on a plate cylinder of a printing press and having the iront .edge register against abutments on the plate cylinder corresponding to those on the punch.

Other objectsv and advantages will .be apparent from the following description in which reference is had to the accompanying drawings. f

in the drawings:

FlG. l is a plan view showing a portion of a punching FIG. 4 is a View ot a portable register bar for Aholding 3,l,% Patented Een. 8, i954 a masking sheet and plate in registration in an exposing frame.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional View showing the register bar of FIG. 4 holding a plate and masking sheet in registration in a vacuum exposing frame, only a portion of which is shown.

FIG. 6 is a simplied view'of a plate cylinder of a printing press showing a plate mounted in registered position thereon.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a punching board 1li has a ilat top il. Along one edge there are three upright posts 12 in each of which there is mounted Va male punching rod i3 which is spring-urged away from the board. A handle (not shown) is provided to cause all of said rods 13 when actuated to be depressed and pass through a plate i6 on the board into female dies. The rods 13 create elongated, parallel-sided slots to be described shortly. As shown in FIG. 2, the two outer posts 12 have abutments ld against which a leading edge 15 of the plate 16 is registered. The posts are spaced slightly above the table top 1l to permit the plate 16 to be slid thereunder. It will he noticed that the middle post 12 has no such registering abutment. An abutment 1.7 is preferably used to side register the plate 16. It desired, the abutment 17 may be laterally adjustable to compensate for dilerent width plates.

When the rods v1S are depressed, male punching portions 18 and 19 cooperate with female dies 18 and i9 to punch slots in the leading edge 15 of the plate. It will be noticed that the middle slot, which is preferably in the center of the plate, is perpendicular to and closely adjacent the leading edge of the plate. The end slots are parallel to the leadingedge of the plate and are located one on each side ofthe center slot and are preferably near the side edges of the plate. The pins With which the slots will subsequently engage may be round in cross section or be ilattened on opposed sides to be of a thickness the same asv that of the slots.

Each of the plates 16 is punched in the same manner. There will be one plate prepared for each color to be printed. A similar or greater number of masking sheets registration `elements corresponding to register elements.

used previously are carried on the cylinder and the print- .ing images on each plate are in exact registration with the physical elements. When a multi-color press is used, all of the cylinders are in registration With one another to begin with, that is, the registering elements of one are in positions corresponding to the rest.

As shown in FIG. 3, a stripping table 20 has a glass top surface 2l which a' lighttnot shown) illuminates from within the table 2li.' The table may be of the kind shown and described inthe aforementioned Mulcahy patent or may be one in which negatives are visually regisltered to each other.

y After the particular layout has been made, a masking sheet 22 punched according to the procedure previously mentioned is located over pins 23 and V24E-projecting upwardly from the table top. The masking sheet 22 isV fixed to the table 2li by the center pin'ZS which side registers it by means of a slot Z5 andthe pins' 24 which front register it by means of slots 26. A T- square is then used to lay out the areas in which negatives are to be located. Cutouts 27 are now made in the vrnaski der 35.

ing sheet 22 to servey as windows through which negatives 28 may be seen. Only one piece of film 2S has been shown mounted en the sheet 22 of FIG. 3, it being understood that negatives for the same color are likewise located over each of the other cutout windows 2,7. lf the Mulcahy. apparatus is used, the first color masking sheet is removed after' it has been thus produced, and the next masking-sheet for the second coloris mounted on the table and produced in the same manner. Or, if the Mulcahy apparatus is unavailable, the first masking sheet with its negatives mounted thereon by means of pressure sensitive tapeorthe like may be left in position on the stripping table Z and a second previously prepared sheet 22 laid over its top. The negatives for thesecond color corresponding to those of the first color may be visually registered to the negatives of the first color and taped in like fashion to the second sheet 22. Such visual registration is of course facilitated by the light passing through the glass table top 21. lf more than two colors are used, the second sheetri's removed and the third sheet is placed over the first and registered in the same manner as the second. v

After the masking sheets have been prepared, the plates are ready to be exposed in the vacuum frame or exposing table. AV first sheet isy then mounted over pins 23a and 24a mounted on a thin bar 29. As shown, the pins 23a and 24a are identical to pins 23 and 24 of the stripping table. vBar 29 may in fact be registered to the strippingtable in any desired fashion, and removed with the masking sheet for use in the vacuum frame. The plate for the first color is then mounted over'the pins 23a and 24a, and the bar, plate, and masking sheet are then placed in the vacuum frame, a portion of which is shown in FIG. 5. The frame includes a transparent glass top 30 and a rubber mattress 31 spaced therefrom. The top 30 may bel hinged to permit placing the combined registered plate and masking sheet on the mattress. When the top is brought down .against the sheet and locked, a vacuum chamber 32 between the glass and mattress is evacuated of air to snug the rubber toward the glass top and thus hold the masking sheet and plate tightly against the glass top 3i). The pins 23a and 24a project downwardly toward the mattress 31. It will be seen from FIG. k that thepins are of a length slightly greater than the combined thickness of a masking sheet and plate. lf desired, the masking sheet and plate and bar may be taped together prior to placing them in thevacuum frame. arc light or other exposing light shines through the glass and negatives mounted on the masking sheet to burn an image into the light-sensitive surface on the plate 16. After thus exposed, the plate and masking sheet are removed and treated in the customary manner of producing lithographie plates for use on a printing machine. As that process itself is not a part of this invention, it will not be described. The remaining plates are prepared in a like manner by registering them, exposing them in the vacuum frame, and treating them for the lithographie process. Y

The plates lare-now ready to be used for printing. The plate for the first color is mounted on a cylinder 35 by inserting it beneath a clamp 33 (shown simply in dotted lines) until the center slot 34 slips over a radially projecting pin 23h mounted on the cylinder. Slot 34 is identical to slot 25 in eachmasking sheet.V This side registers the plate 16 on the cylinder. The plate is now slid Vforward until its leading edge l5 engages-a pair of abutments 14a 'which preferably correspond exactly to' the abutments 14 of the punch 10. VThe clamp-33 is then tightened to lock the leading edge of the plate in position on the cylin- The plate is now wrapped aroundrthe cylinder 3S and its trailing edge 36 is inserted intarclarnp 37 (also shown simply in dotted lines). Clamp' 3'7` is then locked onto the trailing edge 36 of the plate and is moved toward the clamp 33 to tension the plate von the cylinder. -Mechanisin fortensioning the plate has ynot been shownsince i any conventional mechanism for this purpose may be used.

If desired, after the plates have been prepared and are ready to be placed on the cylinder, cutting snips may be used to notch out an area defined by dotted lines 38 so that locating the slot 34 around the pins 23b may be easier accomplished, the notch being used as a guiding slot facilitating engagement of the slot with the pin when sliding the plate beneath the clamp 33.

f Occasionally, a single image to be printed may be the full size of the plate itself. In such case, a camera back may be provided with pins corresponding to the pins 23 and 24 on the stripping table and a full size negative provided with slots identical to slots 2.5 and 26. The negative is then exposed in the camera and mounted on the stripping table by means of the slots over a masking sheet which has a full size window cut therein. The remainder of the process previously described is then repeated.

On occasion, a particular printing job may have the windows 27 in the masking sheets so close together that the strips between the windows do not provide enough rigidity in the sheet. In s'uch a ease, the apparatus of this invention lls a long-awaited need. By way of example, let us refer to the layout illustrated in FIG. 3. If desired, instead of making one masking sheet for each color, two may be made and exposed lseparately with the same plate. The first sheet of each set may have three windows in the position of the two top o'uter windows and the bottom center window. The second sheet of each may have the top center window and therbottom outer windows. The negatives for the separate sheetsare maintained registered through the pins 23 and 24. The two sheets are preferably exposed in the vacuum frame one at a time with the plate.

While the invention has been described and is claimed as it relates to multi-colory printing, it'should be understood to cover a situation in which only a single colo1 is printed, but two or more masking sheet layouts are used for exposure with a single plate. For example, the final printed sheet may bedesired to be printed in black alone,

y the required 'exposure time for the two types of copy may be different. It may thus be desirable to set all the halftone negatives onl a first masking sheet and all the line copy negatives on a second sheet, and expose them separately with the same plate.

Various other changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A method of preparing a plurality of thin, flexible, rectangular light-sensitive printing plates of substantially uniform thickness for use in printing multiple impressions on a printing machine, which'comprises the steps of (a) punching a plurality of spaced registering holes in each plate in corresponding predetermined positions relative to one edge of each plate,

(b) punching registering holes corresponding to the plate registering holes in and along an edge of each v of a plurality of thin, flexible lm carrier sheets,

(c) providing cut-outs in a iirst'one of said sheets in areas selected according to one color of a final desired print, said cut-outs being in predetermined positions relative to the registering holes in said first sheet,

(d) providingcut-outs iny each of said other sheets corresponding to'those `in the first sheet,.

(e) mounting film pieces with images thereon` for said one` color over the cut-outs of said lirst sheet,

" (f) registering each of said other sheets with said first sheet by means of pins accurately fitting the registering holes of the carrier sheets and visually registering and mounting film pieces for othervcolors over the cut-outs of each other sheet while so registered-over the rst sheet,

(g) superimposing each carrier sheet with its film pieces on a light sensitive side of one of said printing plates and registering said plate and carrier sheet by means of portable registering pins having a length slightly greater than the combined thickness of a carrier sheet and plate and closely and accurately fitting the holes of each mating carrier sheet and plate in order to form a combined portable assembly,

(h) compressing each entire combined assembly of pins,

carrier sheet and plate one assembly at a time between two substantially flat surfaces at least that one which is adjacent the carrier sheet being rigid transparent, whereby said film carrier sheet and f' plate are snugly pressed together and said carrier Y sheet is snugly pressed against said transparent surface,

p (i) exposing the lm images onto the sensitive side of each plate in turn by means of light passing through the transparent surface,

(j) removing and disassembling said assembly,

(k) treating each exposed plate to render it capable of producing printing on imprint-receiving material,

(I) positioning each treated plate on a cylinder of a printing machine by aligning said one edge thereof against abutments having predetermined locations on said cylinder, and

(m) fastening each plate to its cylinder while so aligned.

2.. The method according to claim 1 wherein the holes punched in each plate and lrn carrier sheet comprise a iirst parallel-sided elongated slot closely adjacent and References Cited bythe Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,374,859 4/21 Marquardt IUI-415.1 1,391,117 9/21 Huebner.

1,480,489 1/24 Banzett.

2,099,364 11/ 37 Hunter.

2,173,168 9/39 Hughes.

2,192,924 3/40 Maher et al.

2,331,772 10/43 Gibson.

2,621,592 12/52 Faeber.

2,626,858 1/ 5 3 McGraw et al.

OTHER REFERENCES Flader, L., et al.: Modern Photoengraving. Chicago, Cincinnati, Modern Photoengraving Publishers, 1948.

Tory, B. E.: Photolithography. Chicago, Graphic Arts Monthly, 1953.

WlLLIAM B. PENN, Primary Examiner. DAVID KLEIN, Examiner. 

1. A METHOD OF PREPARING A PLURALITY OF THIN, FLEXIBLE, RECTANGULAR LIGHT-SENSITIVE PRINTING PLATES OF SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM THICKNESS FOR USE IN PRINTING MULTIPLE IMPRESSIONS ON A PRINTING MACHINE, WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF: (A) PUNCHING A PLURALITY OF SPACED REGISTERING HOLES IN EACH PLATE IN CORRESPONDING PREDETERMINED POSITIONS RELATIVE TO ONE EDGE OF EACH PLATE, (B) PUNCHING REGISTERING HOLES CORRESPONDING TO THE PLATE REGISTERING HOLES IN AND ALONG AN EDGE OF EACH OF A PLURALITY OF THIN, FLEXIBLE FILM CARRIER SHEETS, (C) PROVIDING CUT-OUTS IN A FIRST ONE OF SAID SHEETS IN AREAS SELECTED ACCORDING TO ONE COLOR OF A FINAL DESIRED PRINT, SAID CUT-OUTS BEING IN PREDETERMINED POSITIONS RELATIVE TO THE REGISTERING HOLES IN SAID FIRST SHEET, (D) PROVIDING CUT-OUTS IN EACH OF SAID OTHER SHEETS CORRESPONDING TO THOSE IN THE FIRST SHEET, (E) MOUNTING FILM PIECES WITH IMAGES THEREON FOR SAID ONE COLOR OVER THE CUT-OUTS OF SAID FIRST SHEET, (F) REGISTERING EACH OF SAID OTHER SHEETS WITH SAID FIRST SHEET BY MEANS OF PINS ACCURATELY FITTING THE REGISTERING HOLES OF THE CARRIER SHEETS AND VISUALLY REGISTERING AND MOUNTING FILM PIECES FOR OTHER COLORS OVER THE CUT-OUTS OF EACH OTHER SHEET WHILE SO REGISTERED OVER THE FIRST SHEET, (G) SUPERIMPOSING EACH CARRIER SHEET WITH ITS FILM PIECES ON A LIGHT SENSITIVE SIDE OF ONE OF SAID PRINTING PLATES AND REGISTERING SAID PLATE AND CARRIER SHEET BY MEANS OF PORTABLE REGISTERING PINS HAVING A LENGTH SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN THE COMBINED THICKNESS OF A CARRIER SHEET AND PLATE AND CLOSELY AND ACCURATELY FITTING THE HOLES OF EACH MATING CARRIER SHEET AND PLATE IN ORDER TO FORM A COMBINED PORTABLE ASSEMBLY, (H) COMPRESSING EACH ENTIRE COMBINED ASSEMBLY OF PINS, CARRIER SHEET AND PLATE ONE ASSEMBLY AT A TIME BETWEEN TWO SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT SURFACES AT LEAST THAT ONE WHICH IS ADJACENT THE CARRIER SHEET BEING RIGID AND TRANSPARENT, WHEREBY SAID FILM CARRIER SHEET AND PLATE ARE SNUGLY PRESSED TOGETHER AND SAID CARRIER SHEET IS SNUGLY PRESSED AGAINST SAID TRANSPARENT SURFACE, (I) EXPOSING THE FILM IMAGES ONTO THE SENSITIVE SIDE OF EACH PLATE IN TURN BY MEANS OF LIGHT PASSING THROUGH THE TRANSPARENT SURFACE, (J) REMOVING AND DISASSEMBLING AND ASSEMBLY, (K) TREATING EACH EXPOSED PLATE TO RENDER IT CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PRINTING ON IMPRINT-RECEIVING MATERIAL, (L) POSITIONING EACH TREATED PLATE ON A CYLINDER OF A PRINTING MACHINE BY ALIGNING SAID ONE EDGE THEREOF AGAINST ABUTMENTS HAVING PREDETERMINED LOCATIONS ON SAID CYLINDER, AND (M) FASTENING EACH PLATE TO ITS CYLINDER WHILE SO ALIGNED. 